You will remember in 1997 the astute, but effective media purification put in place by Mercedes Benz after the overturning of the "Baby Benz", the first series of Class A. Under the lens a series of narrow slaloms called Moose tests, designed and carried out in Sweden where collisions with large ruminants are not so rare. On that occasion the damage to the image of the Stuttgart company was estimated - source La Repubblica - in the order of 100 million marks, more or less fifty million euros, a figure necessary to update the cars already sold and those in production. It was not a publicity stunt and without hypocrisies Mercedes Benz made a mea culpa mediatically, arguing with humility and embarrassment that the accident would serve as an additional incentive to improve.
Too bad, making a comparison, that the same transparency was not substantially adopted in Italy by Iveco Defense Vehicles, when the VTLM Lince first series, perhaps equipped with a turret, overturned at 50 km / h. It was more convenient to blame the military, which had long been unheard of in their judgments.
We have already dealt with the problems of the "San Lince" LMV several times and, as reported by the news, endorsed in a military environment, the second series has been modified from the point of view of performance and in particular in the shock absorbers, while there would be a sort of third series ex novo which would represent the optimum that military and taxpaying citizens would have expected immediately, in 2006, from Light Multirole Vehicle anti-mine. But this did not happen…
On the other hand, Iveco already has a lot of visibility and perhaps beyond some competition, it does not interest you so much to emphasize the sturdiness characteristics of its vehicles, as happens on the web by renowned brands of heavy vehicles.
Instead, the media response during the first expeditions was highly appreciated, to break a spear in Iveco's favor Overland World Truck Expedition aboard the historic Iveco 330.30 ANW and VM90. A journey into the past that will surely bring 190 Turbostar tractors back to enthusiasts in the sector.
In short, apart from the advertisements on the new media as for IVECO S-WAY, the Italian brand would not seem to be particularly inclined to social and certainly not for economic limitations. On the other hand, it is a company that always stands up also for the ability to know how to liquidate products; especially when the client is the public administration.
A provocative challenge in our opinion achievable
Get a participant Lynx in Paris Dakar would not be bad as an idea, even if an ad hoc civil version would have to be created first. On the other hand, everything is possible within the nonconformist Rally Dakar, more known as Paris-Dakar, the tough competition that after 42 editions made its debut on the dunes of Saudi Arabia, a nation where the name Iveco Difesa is also known by the nickname STI, Steyr-Daimler.
Surely there would also be room for our LMV, just wanting it, if we consider that an alter ego of Astra ACTL (and in a certain sense also of the VTMM) is present with the Trakker of PETRONAS Team De Rooy, who has tirelessly competed with competitors of the caliber of the Russian team KAMAZ Master Trucks of the Red Bull rather than the BUGGYRA Racing team of TATRA or the new entry, also Belarusian MAZ of the Sportauto team who raced with a 6440 ton 9 RR half curmudgeon and about 900 horsepower. It should be remembered that these brands produce, without going too far from technological schemes and civilian forms, even military vehicles.
For Iveco, it would be above all a satisfying way, in the indisputable era social, to take off the good VTLM Lynx all the preconceptions acquired with the first series, given its road anomalies and off road.
Who knows if Iveco Defense Vehicles will enhance the challenge alongside its participants Trakker e powerstar 4x4 Cursor 13, also the military feline? A challenge perhaps using military pilots?
It is not a novelty: in 1952 Fiat and Alfa Romeo enrolled 2 cars in the 1000 miles ALFA AR51 "MATTA" and AR51 CAMPAGNOLA and its drivers belonged to the Armed Forces (photo).
The idea comes from Ulysses Cecchin, driving expert off road and driving school teacher
Cecchin maintains a theory: "If a 12-ton truck launched at more than 100 km / h (they even reach 150 km / h!) On the sand dunes, it takes off and returns to the ground without problems, I don't see how an LMV Lince cannot do it which weighs half and even has a lower center of gravity than a truck ”.
From what I learn from his passionate notes, he would support a restyling forecast of the Lynx where the roadway is emphasized more, perhaps using circles with negative off-set to make them more flared. Summarizing the concept, he wrote to me: “… But the Petronas Iveco De Rooy Team, which runs the most demanding rally raid in the world at the Dakar with an Iveco Powerstar and an Iveco Trakker that weigh no less than the Lince, what shock absorbers are fitted? Yet they fly over the dunes and when they land they do not bounce, but remain in grip ”. A concept in his opinion, which could see the use of racing gas shock absorbers with double effect adjustment.
An Alpine, as well as a paratrooper, are never ex and Cecchin, as a good officer of the Alpine troops of the reserve, remembers the propensity to overturn the mechanical Mule - already treated by Online Defense (v.articolo) - and motorcycles Fresia F18 and, taking into account these problems, maintains that the suspension system of the Lynx with four independent wheels with McPerson coil springs and coaxial shock absorbers, they are typical of Quad bikes and able to faithfully adapt to the ground, taking up a concept perhaps already known on motorcars Fresia F18.
Considerations and memories
About the structure of Lynx, Cecchin recalls the victims of numerous reversal accidents, including that of October 2009 which took place at Herat to a team of the 4th alpine paratroopers, rather than in 2012 on the Aurelia near Tarquinia, but also the disastrous reversal in Trieste or on the A4 in Ospitaletto Bs, where the victim was not a military man but a civilian technician from Iveco Difesa.
Always Cecchin stresses that safety has a limit even when it is convinced that it is sheltered in an armored cell, but unable to absorb shocks - but only explosions - since it does not have a bodywork with programmed deformation.
He concludes, in addition to a clear invitation to always use seat belts and the helmet, that the VTLM was born as a 3,5 ton vehicle (perhaps the reference is to FIAT BEYOND, v.articolo) and it is normal for braking followed by a sharp obstacle dodge to generate a limit on road holding.
I had the chance to test the only non-commercial civilian prototype of the Lynx - not 7 ton - and, if you remember what reported Article, the first impression I felt was the clear perception of driving a 4x4 truck and not an SUV or an off-road vehicle.
Curiosity
Tacita T Rally is the first electric enduro motorcycle that participated in the Paris Dakar, capable of covering approximately 200 km delivering a torque of 100 Nm, 60 horsepower with an interesting five-speed gearbox, a novelty for a total green. There is also a 4x4 SUV, Odyssey 21 with 400 kW with formula E technology, as well as a hybrid Truck produced by Renault the C460 Hybrid.
With impetus and iron heart over the obstacle
The network is full of travel diaries of those who for adventure or competitions have chosen to cross the desert by motorbike, with an off-road vehicle or a truck, like those (ex military) equipped by Alessandro Pozzani. Without prejudice to the official line-up of FIF, the Italian Off-Road Federation, there is certainly no shortage of testimonials on this undertaking and I wanted to combine several impressions in a short story.
“You have to be like a hydrofoil to be able to float on fine sand, the fearsome fech fech with a consistency comparable to talcum powder, an insidious opponent similar to water when it covers your windshield and slips away just as easily. Only after the humidity of the night does it have a slight surface crust that allows you more drivability. You must put the panic in the budget despite the geo-localization systems, but after a few hours your instinct in the human void and in absolute silence advises you to get out of that nightmare. Your company is the engine noise or the words of your companions. If you are lucky enough to follow the furrows, you make it aware that you are not the only one, you are not alone, otherwise there is you and the sea of sand as extensive as an interminable nation. The engine must run at maximum torque and the 4x4 transmission while in front of you the horizon line breaks with the sky. You are at high speed and you cannot hide from yourself that at any moment a break could occur or, worse, run aground in a rock flush with the soft sandy mantle. Then all of a sudden, what looked like a slight hole in the distance, materializes before you like an eight-storey apartment building. Here we are, the dune has arrived. Instinct once again shows up, and invites you to take your foot off the gas, also because when you get over the huge bump you don't know what you will find, even if there are no obstacles created by man. Suddenly you are inclined upwards, you only see the sky and you are blind until you reach the apex of the dune where a feeling of emptiness rises from the bottom, perhaps a bit like the SuperAV water immersion amphibious when it launches into the sea leaving the ship's hangar. Immediately after the sensation is followed by a thump on the ground and the shaking of your vehicle that you have to keep straight in order not to tip over. You return to see the horizon interrupted by the sky, as soon as you are flat, but you will never get used to not being influenced by your instincts and only with the firmness of the impetus will you once again throw your heart over the obstacle or beyond the dune ".
Avoid sinking
It may seem unusual but on the sand you consume more at low speeds. In fact, it is the sinking of the vehicle at low speeds that distributes greater friction to the underbody; 4x4 desert veterans claim that tire pressure is paramount. "The higher the tire pressure the higher the groove will be." In fact, as the pressure decreases, adherence also decreases, but compensation occurs with the longitudinal elongation of the footprint of the wheels. So during a 4x4 raid, interacting with pressure is essential.
The military on tactics - also on Lynx - use a centralized pressure system controlled from the driver's seat. It is important to reach a planing or floating speed to counteract the resistance of the sand. The steering must be gentle and wide also to avoid resistance and, albeit with the engine at maximum torque, in speed it is better to use high gears that avoid rotations of torque that would dig into the ground. A good pressure gauge and metal walkways are essential in the desert and the latter are also the ideal tool to lean on when replacing a wheel.
Stop uphill on the dune
Little cheerful but widespread situation and where instinctive maneuvers can make the situation worse. The inclination is really great, inside everything slides backwards and the vehicle by gravity will slide downstream. A driver's hesitancy and low speed are the main causes. The vehicle must go down remaining absolutely straight, otherwise if it picks up speed you tip over. Bringing it down with a brake or a crushed clutch are mistakes to never commit, directionality would be lost; instead use the engine brake after engaging the reduced reverse gear and do not accelerate until it reaches the bottom.
How much adrenaline, right? Think for a moment about our Military for whom, it also adds the tension of being hit during a removal or running into an IED.
Who knows if something of what is proposed will ever come true in Italy? In the meantime, Lt. Cecchin and I, a thought for the Rally Dakar shall we...
I dedicate the article to the prestigious Cavalry Weapon.
Photo: Defense / web
